What's a wiki? A wiki is a web site that lets any visitor become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge or tools. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. A wiki is continuously “under revision.” It is a living collaboration whose purpose is the sharing of the creative process and product by many. One famous example is Wiki-pedia, an online encyclopedia with no “authors” but millions of contributors and editors. The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian language, meaning "quick" or "fast." Who uses wikis? Wikis are used in the “real world” (outside of K-12 schools) by people collaborating on projects or trying to share things online, such as family information and photos, technical information from users of a product, data from a research and development project, wine expertise, travel journals from abroad, club or specialty information, or projects like collaborative cookbooks.
Uses for wikis? student participation in the ongoing creation and evolution of the wiki, somewhere to work on essays together? A wikispace for a class is a great place for students to post their work so that teachers and classmates can correct, improve, and discuss their work. Wiki ideas appropriate for most subjects and grade levels:
Study guides made by student groups for themselves and peers: each group prepares the guide for one aspect of the unit or responsibility rotates: one unit guide per semester.
Vocabulary lists and examples of the words in use, contributed by students (ongoing throughout the year).
The wiki as the organizational and intellectual epicenter of your class (see the **Aristotle experiment**)- Wiki all assignments, projects, collaboration, rubrics, etc.
Products of research projects, especially collaborative group projects: civil war battles, artistic movements, the American electoral process, diseases and prevention, etc. Remember that the products do not have to be simply writing. They can include computer files, images, videos, etc. Creating an organizational structure for the content is an important part if the project.
An annotated collection of EXAMPLES from the non-school world for anything: supply/demand, capitalism, entrepreneurship, triangles, alliterations, vertebrates or invertebrates, etc. Include illustrations wherever possible.
What I Think Will Be on the Test wiki: a place to log review information for important concepts throughout the year, prior to taking the “high stakes” test, AP test, or final exam. Students add to it throughout the year and even from year to year.
An “everything I needed to know I learned in Ms.Brawners class” wiki where students add their own observations of ways the class knowledge has spilled over into the “real world.”
A travelogue from a field trip or NON-field trip Articles by students who miss school for family trips, written about their travels on the class wiki, relating what they see to concepts learned before they left.
An FAQ wiki on your current unit topic. Have students post KWL entries and continue adding questions that occur to them as the unit progresses. As other students add their “answers,” the wiki will evolve into a student-created guide to the topic.
A careers wiki. Have students interview people about their jobs and write up descriptions of different career paths. Invite the workers to add their own input and pictures, as well. Keep this wiki as part of an alumni project for your high school students investigating school-to-work options.
Buy a Car wiki- interest, financing, car dealer info, car model reviews, etc (in driver ed, math, or business class).
Consumer wiki- student articles on consumer issues and warnings, including the local mall, area businesses, even cell phone plans. This is great for middle schoolers learning about consumer rights.
Get a Job wiki- share info on good/bad places to work and why.
Let students create a “study hall” wiki for their assignments and prep for upcoming tests in your class
Wonderstudent Wiki: As preparation for college or job applications, have groups of students create a fictitious student-resume wiki, demonstrating good skills at “selling” one’s talents and accomplishments. Invite potential employers or college admissions officers to respond to the wikis, if possible.
wiki video
What's a wiki?
A wiki is a web site that lets any visitor become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge or tools. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. A wiki is continuously “under revision.” It is a living collaboration whose purpose is the sharing of the creative process and product by many. One famous example is Wiki-pedia, an online encyclopedia with no “authors” but millions of contributors and editors. The word "wiki" comes from Hawaiian language, meaning "quick" or "fast."
Who uses wikis?
Wikis are used in the “real world” (outside of K-12 schools) by people collaborating on projects or trying to share things online, such as family information and photos, technical information from users of a product, data from a research and development project, wine expertise, travel journals from abroad, club or specialty information, or projects like collaborative cookbooks.
Uses for wikis? student participation in the ongoing creation and evolution of the wiki, somewhere to work on essays together? A wikispace for a class is a great place for students to post their work so that teachers and classmates can correct, improve, and discuss their work.
Wiki ideas appropriate for most subjects and grade levels: